Wichita’s Orpheum Theater Announces Plans, Timeline for Complete Renovation

WICHITA, Kansas — One of the last vaudeville theaters in the country will undergo a long-awaited renovation.

Officials with a history Orpheum Theatre in downtown Wichita announced Wednesday that they have raised most of the funds needed to begin a major renovation starting next summer.

Plans call for new flooring, seating, stage lighting and rigging. Crews will also rebuild dressing rooms, repair crumbling plaster and restore Edison-style lights that create a twinkling night sky effect on the Orpheum’s blue-painted ceiling.

“When this theater is restored, its value will be felt in a completely different way,” said Stacee Olden, executive director of the Orpheum. “And I think this community will just fully embrace it.”

The project is estimated to cost $9.5 million. Donors have given $6.9 million so far, Olden said. The remaining $2.6 million will be raised through a new “Campaign of the Second Century” which started on Wednesday.

“The energy is palpable,” Olden said. “The people of Wichita are ready and eager to see this beautiful entertainment venue in the heart of downtown restored to its former glory and preserved for a second century.”

Since opening in 1922, Wichita’s Orpheum Theater has undergone several renovations and been threatened with demolition.

Of the more than 100 theatres in the country that were built at the turn of the last century for vaudeville purposes, 17 are still in operation.

As part of Wednesday’s announcement, crews lowered the Orpheum’s original fire curtain for the first time in decades. The hand-painted curtain, designed by architect John Eberson and built by Fabric Studio of Chicago more than 100 years ago, is in better condition than Orpheum officials expected.

The painting shows a couple strolling through a Spanish garden, Olden said, which serves as a vibrant centerpiece to what Eberson envisioned as an “atmospheric theater” in the Andalusian style.

As part of next year’s renovation, a modern fire curtain will be added to the rear of the original exhibition, preserving its original appearance and enabling more regular display of works of art.

“So please soak it in,” Olden said. “It may be a little longer before you see it again, but rest assured that we’ll be showing it a lot more in the future.”

Olden, who was appointed executive director of Orpheum Earlier this year, it was announced that the theatre would be closed for about a year for renovations that are set to begin in June 2025.

However, officials do not want it to become completely dark.

“We would like to keep the community educated and engaged as the renovations continue, so we talked about creating a small viewing area at the back of the theater so residents can come and see” the progress, Olden said.

Officials hope that First Friday events can be held in the lobby and continue the Orpheum’s annual activities. Anniversary Film Series in another place, she said.

“Ultimately, our goal is to honor and celebrate our historical significance while providing opportunities … to the cutting edge,” Olden said. “This will not only bring talent to the theater and to the stage where legends have graced, but it will give audiences one of the best experiences in Wichita and the region.”

Suzanne Perez covers education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

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